Class System in Russian Empire and then in USSR

After Revolution of 1905 people in Russian Empire were officially divided into 5 classes based on socio-economic status. That was mostly used for elections, but for other things as well. Before formalization in 1905, there were still divisions between peasants and aristocracy.

The 5 classes of 1905 were in order of precedence:

1. Aristocracy: Rulal landowners who employed peasants to work their land. I think it was impossible to gain or lose this rank. It was completely hereditary.
2. Urban dwellers who own property above certain value threshold. Industrialists, factory owners, big business, bourgeoisie in Marxian terminology.
3. Urban dwellers who own property below certain among. Small shop owners and such Petit-Bourgeoisie, Middle class. Possibly the most diverse class.
4. Ubran dwellers who do not own any property. Proletariat, Working Class. People who worked 16 hours, 6-day workweek on factories owned by the 2nd class above.
5. Peasants: rural dwellers who worked on fields owned by the 1st class on this list. Sometimes they owned some land themselves, but typically not enough to support themselves.

First three classes were hardly more than 1-3% of total population of Russian Empire. 

Workers were ever growing and well-organized class, concentrated in large urban centers. They were about 17% of total population. They because backbone of Red Army and USSR. 

Peasants were the biggest class, but they were dispersed all around the vast country and had hard time organizing into anything.

The original electoral system used for Duma elections gave each of these classes equal number of MPs. Electoral districts were the same for each class. So, there were several MPs per district, one for workers, one of urban rich and one for urban middle for example.

That of course was intentional and gave 3% of population 60% vote in Duma. 

Later this system was changed to make all classes elect a single representative. However, disparity was maintained and even worsened by letting upper classes vote directly, while requiring lover classes to first vote for an elector, who will cast vote on their behalf. Vote of the elector of the poor was equal to a vote of upperclassman despite the fact that it took thousands of the poor to elect one elector. Most districts had more upper-class voters compare to number of electors allocated to underclassmen.

Communist Era

When Lenin declared USSR to be a country of workers and peasants, he literary meant 4th and 5th classes on the list. The 3 upper classes were to be dispossessed of all their property and be either turned into 4th class or literary exterminated as 'class enemy'. Lenin correctly assumed that three upper classes will be unhappy with his nationalization and will oppose communism. Fundamentally all members of first three classes either fled the country or were exterminated down to the last man.

Lenin however did maintain workers higher status and privileges over peasants, however. For example, before 1933 in elections worker's vote was worth much more than that of a peasant. Echo of imperial time unequal voting power. At first communists did not change it completely, but simply eliminated 3 upper classes.

First 3 classes, who held highest voting power in empire time, were completely deprived of right to vote after communists took over. Communists considered it a form of justice to put those who were once on top to a complete bottom. 

These distinctions were completely abolished in 1933 and one person one vote system was introduced. Not because they believed that the upper classes deserve to vote, but rather because they concluded that none of members of these classes were left in the USSR by 1933.

However overall, the 1933 changed mostly solidified dictatorship, rather than added more political pluralism. 

System, that used to govern Soviet Russia and USSR between 1917 and 1933 was akin to federation of trade unions. Lower tier unions (soviets) of this or that factory or plant, elected members to the higher tier unions, tier above factory was city, then oblast, then local SSR, then USSR.

In that 1933 that was replaced with a directly elected Supreme Soviet. That by itself closer is liberal democracy than before. However, it was combined with uncompetitive elections with only one legal party like in USSR. Because of uncompetitive elections government became much more detached from people than before.

In some ways inequality between urban and rural class only increased in USSR. Even in Khruschev times peasants were not allowed to relocate to urban areas.